Mystic Lasagna
by loony luna91
Summary: James and Lily are married and Lily is acting strange and emotional. More so than usual that is. However, James may have an idea as to what may be causing Lily's strange emotions.


James smiled as he watched his Lily working frantically in the kitchen to prepare a meal for her parents. It was five o' clock now and they would be there at six, so Lily was at her wit's end trying to cook lasagna the Muggle way.

"Darn it!" Lily cried as she fiddled with the timer on their small oven. James had asked Lily why she had wanted one when they first bought the house, but she had merely insisted on having a kitchen with Muggle appliances.

James chuckled and rested his chin on his clasped hands. "Would you like any help?"

"No, no! I'm fine," Lily responded, determined to complete the simple task that she had watched her mother perform so many times.

Lily mumbled to herself, reading the instructions in her mother's notes once again.

James sighed and grinned at his wife. Her hair was pulled up in messy ponytail that was quickly becoming even more disarrayed due to the fact that she was dashing from one side of the kitchen to the other, from the fridge to the oven and back again. She bit her lower lip as she carefully measured ingredients to the exact portions. When James had asked her why she wouldn't use magic, she had merely slapped him lightly on the shoulder, saying, "My mum made lasagna without magic her whole life and so will I."

"How long has it been since I put the lasagna in the oven?" Lily asked with a worried expression.

"Uh…" James ruffled his hair as he checked the Muggle clock over the dining room table, something else that Lily had insisted on. "A little over an hour."

"No!" Lily shrieked as she ran towards the oven and opened the door. As soon as she did, smoke billowed out of the oven and made Lily cough slightly as she reached in to remove the lasagna.

When she placed the pan on the counter, the lasagna continued to emit smoke from its black exterior. Upon seeing her failed efforts, Lily broke down into sobs.

James quickly got up from his seat and wrapped his arms around Lily's waist.

"It's alright, darling; it's my fault for not reminding you. I was distracted," James consoled as he rested his head on Lily's shoulder.

"I don't get!" Lily sobbed. "Why can't I make it? I've watched Mum do it so many times."

"It's just a one time thing; an off day."

"But that's just it! There shouldn't even be an off day! I know the recipe from start to finish; I had it memorized when I was seven!" Lily sobbed as she poked her black lasagna with a wooden fork that made vents on the surface from which long tendrils of smoke escaped.

As Lily continued to sob, she grabbed a couple olives from a bowl on the counter and popped them in her mouth.

James looked at Lily curiously. "I thought you hated olives."

"I do!" Lily wailed even louder as she ate yet another olive. "I'm a pig! I just can't stop eating, and now I can't even make bloody lasagna!"

James furrowed his brow and turned Lily around so that she was facing him. "How long do you think this has been going on?"

"I don't know," Lily sniveled as her sobs become less erratic. "I guess since last month, right about the time that I got mad at you for leaving the toothpaste out." 

James winced as he remembered the incident. "Ah yes, I still have a bump on my head from when you threw that vase at me."

Lily laughed quietly and rested her head on James' chest. She still didn't know why the open toothpaste tube had upset her so much, but it had. So much that she felt the need to throw a flower filled vase at her confused husband. Thankfully, though, James had always been very understanding and quickly forgave Lily's moment of madness.

James smiled as Lily buried her head in his chest and her sobs quieted. He wrapped his arms tighter around his wife and rested his chin on the top of her head. James had to admit, the past month had been pretty crazy. It seemed that Lily had been moodier than usual. James had assumed it was from stress caused by the current state of the wizarding world, but this was different. Lily was usually in more control of her emotions.

That's when it hit James. A huge smile played on his lips and he grabbed Lily by the shoulders.

"Lily, do you think you may be…" James started and trailed off suggestively.

"May be what?" Lily asked with a skeptical look. James was looking quite excited about something and it was starting to scare her.

"You know…"

"I know what?"

"Pregnant."

"Pregnant!?" Lily cried.

James nodded and waited for Lily's reaction. She looked stunned and James could tell that it wasn't exactly something she was planning on.

It seemed to hit Lily all at once. Her eyes widened and a small smile spread across her face.

"Wow, I may be pregnant. We may be pregnant!" Lily exclaimed, her smile growing bigger and more pronounced with each word.

James laughed, let go of Lily's shoulders and placed his hands on her warm cheeks.

Lily giggled as she clung to James and thought about what they were insinuating. 

"I still want to make sure though," Lily reasoned as she calmed down a bit, even though her euphoria still remained. 

"My parents will be here in thirty minutes, so we don't have time to go to St. Mungo's today-"

"Nonsense, I'll wait here for your parents while you hurry over to St. Mungo's. I'm sure you'll be back by the time they get here anyways," James's interjected.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure! Everything will work out splendidly, you'll see."

"Well, if you really think so," Lily said with a small smile still on her lips. James knew that Lily desperately wanted to know if their suspicions were correct.

"I really do," James assured her with an even wider grin as he handed Lily her coat.

Lily accepted the garment. "Alright then. I'll be back as soon as I can, and keep your fingers crossed!"

"I will," James chuckled as he leaned down to give Lily a quick kiss before she left. Lily beamed and seemed to melt for a moment under James's touch, which made James smile even wider.

"I love you," Lily declared as she pulled away.

"I love you too," James replied as he brushed a stray hair behind Lily's ear. "Now, hurry, so you can get back in time to tell your parents the good news!"

Lily immediately straightened as though something had just dawned on her. "My parents! We don't have anything to serve them for dinner!" Lily cried frantically.

James chuckled and led his flustered wife towards the door. "Don't worry, my love, I have everything under control."

Lily seemed to deliberate for a moment before nodding her head and opening the door. "Okay, I'll hurry though."

"Please do," James said as he watched Lily walk out the door and give him a quick wink before she Apparated.

James stood out on the porch for a moment, one thought going through his head over and over again. _I could be a father._

"Evans, Lily?"

Lily sighed in relief as a stout witch finally called her name from the list on the silver clipboard she held in her hand.

"Healer Swanson will see you now," the witch said with a cheerful smile as Lily walked up to her. "It's the first room on the right."

"Thank you," Lily quickly replied as she walked into the hallway and into the small room the witch had indicated.

As Lily strode in, she saw a thin, long table with crinkly white paper over it and deduced that this was where she was supposed to sit. As she slowly lowered herself down on the uncomfortable paper, Lily looked around the room. She noticed dozens of potions and vials covered every square inch of the blue counter that framed the room. Various certificates and awards adorned the sterile, white walls along with a couple of posters explaining the different stages of birth.

After a few long minutes of waiting, the door finally opened and a young witch entered the room carrying with her the same silver clipboard.

"Mrs. Potter? I'm Healer Swanson. Now, it says here that you want a pregnancy test?"

"Yes," Lily explained, "and fast. I need to be back home to meet my husband and my parents in fifteen minutes. So, no questions, no examinations, just give me a yes or a no."

The young Healer seemed unsurprised by Lily's outburst and smiled. "Alright then, would you lift up your shirt for me?"

Lily blinked. She hadn't expected the Healer to be so compliant.

Healer Swanson seemed to understand this. "Honey, I deal with pregnant women all day, every day. I've seen my share of events, trust me. Besides, I would probably say the same thing. Now, do you want an answer or what?" 

Lily laughed and lifted her shirt. Healer Swanson took out her wand and pressed it gently to Lily's stomach. She softly muttered a long, complicated incantation and, after a while, her wand began to give off a faint blue glow.

Lily looked at her belly and then back at the healer. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

Healer Swanson smiled and nodded her head. "Congratulations, it's a boy."

Lily was stunned for a moment. She looked back down at her belly and gently rested her hand over it. _It's a boy._

James frantically ran around the small house he and Lily owned tidying up messes, setting the table, cleaning the living room, and making sure everything was in order.

He was trying to stuff dozens of old magazines under the sofa (out of sight, out of mind) when he heard a quick, repetitive knock on the door.

"Please let that be her. Please let that be her…" James pleaded as he ran to answer the door.

As James swung the door open, he sighed with relief when he saw who it was.

"Oh thank, thank you so much. I swear you are a lifesaver!" James exclaimed as he moved to the side to let his guest in.

"Oh hush, anything for my baby boy. Now, show me to the kitchen so I can unpack and be on my way before Lily's parents arrive," James's mother instructed as she strode into the house like a woman on a mission.

James smiled and led his mother into the kitchen where he had already set the table.

Upon seeing her target, Mrs. Potter immediately set to work on unloading a surprising feast from the large bag she had carried with her.

James's eyes widened at the sight of the huge meal that his mother was carefully positioning on the modest table. The meal was complete with every childhood dish he had loved for so many years.

"Wow, Mum, you didn't have to do all of this. I would have been fine if it was just some chicken or something."

"It's no problem at all, James, dear. Besides, Lily is going to need all the nutrients she can get," Mrs. Potter replied with a warm smile.

"Yeah, well…Wait, how did you-?" James stuttered at his mother's easy statement.

James's mother just smiled wider and cupped her son's chin in her hand.

"A woman always knows, dear. I knew it in a heartbeat the last time I saw Lily. Not only was she moodier than usual, but she was positively glowing."

James smiled at his mother's words. "Thanks, Mum, for everything. The meal looks fantastic."

"Anything for my son. And congratulations, you'll make a good father. I should know, I raised you didn't I?" Mrs. Potter replied with a smile.

"Now, I should be going. Your guests should be here any minute and you need to change."

James's looked puzzled. "Why do I need to change?"

"Why?" Mrs. Potter said, flabbergasted. "You're not going to receive guests looking like that. You look like you just walked off the pitch! Now, go and put on a clean shirt and some nice slacks," she scolded.

James looked down at his shirt and noticed that it was covered in stains and dust from his cleaning frenzy.

"Alright, Mum."

"Good, now off I go, and remember to come and visit soon. I'm sure your father and I won't want to be kept out of the loop about the exciting news for long," Mrs. Potter said with a wink and Apparated before James could respond.

James chuckled and looked again at the now full table. It really was quite a feast.

James was quickly brought back to the task at hand when he once again noticed his filthy shirt and ran off to change before Lily's parents arrived.

Lily was smiling uncontrollably as she skipped up the steps to their home and quickly opened the door.

"James? Are you there?"

"We're in here Lily, darling," James replied from another room.

Lily followed the voice into the living room and saw James sitting there with her parents. Her parents appeared to be quite content on the sofa with drinks in their hands. James, on the other hand, looked quite apprehensive.

James stared at Lily and seemed like he was trying to ask the daunting question with his eyes.

Lily grinned wider and gave an uncharacteristic squeal as she jumped into James's now waiting arms.

Overcome with joy, James lifted Lily up by her waist and twirled her around, hugging her tight to his chest.

Over on the couch, Lily's parents watched the display of affection with confusion and curiosity in their eyes.

"Lily, is there something you want to tell us?" Mrs. Evans asked with a small knowing smile. Mr. Evans, on the other hand, looked just as perplexed as before.

Lily smiled at her parents and then turned to James, who gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Mum, Dad, it's a boy!"


End file.
